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This article, Castel Israfel, was written by Graythorne. Please do not edit or 'acquire' this fiction without the writer's permission. |
Castel Israfel is a current member of the Ordo Xenos Chamber Militant, the Deathwatch. Originating from one of the more bellicose Chapters of the Unforgiven, the Seraphim of the Abyss, which seldom honors its obligations to send brothers to serve in the Long Watch. Thus, it is a larger surprise when the Seraphim submitted one of their Epistolaries to serve as a Deathwatch Librarian, which are screened to the extreme before acceptance. During his service in the Long Watch, Castel's Kill-Team were fighting against the abominable Tyranids when he suffered the Shadow in the Warp. Assailed by the ocean of psykic static while fending off hordes of aliens, Castel was mortally wounded. After being returned to Watch Fortress Surgegate, the Librarian was made to become one of the Primaris to potentially recover from his wounds.
History
The man that would become Castel Israfel began his life as a warrior-born in the forested wilds of Boletaria, home world of the Seraphim of the Abyss. However, the Chapter's Librarius attentions fell onto Castel earlier than most, when after he was found fit to become a neophyte of the Seraphim, he displayed the traits of a psyker. Thus, Castel was subjected to the grueling tests, physical and mental. Fortunately for him, he survived the process of becoming a Lexicanium of the Chapter, now walking the precarious path of a psyker with a learned wisdom from his mentors.
Early in his career, Castel made a name for himself while accompanying the Seraphim of the Abyss' 4th Company on its Ptolemaic Crusade against the Eldar raiding the Ixaniad Sector. As a Lexicanum, Castel was able to prevent the deaths of dozens of his brothers using psykic shields and divination to ascertain the Eldar's motives and goal. Castel further proved himself by clashing with one of the xenos Farseers in a duel of minds. While the Eldar had the advantage of a supremely long life of experience, Castel was supported by his brother-captain, Niketas Vretiel, who suffered the worst of the Farseer's powers. When his Captain fell, the Librarian called his empyreal gifts and amplified his strength tenfold, cleaving the Eldar Farseer in twain, then rallying the rest of the Seraphim to purge the aliens from the Emperor's realm. For his deeds, after returning to the Chapter, he was raised to Epistolary from Codicier.
However, Castel would have a fall from grace when he and a small contingent of fellow Seraphim of the 4th Company joined with the Dark Angels on a hunt for the Fallen in 980.M41. While the Dark Angels and Seraphim pursued a particular Fallen Angel, forces from the Ordinators Chapter intervened, believing that the Fallen was in fact one of the heretical Sensei. A battle between the three parties ensued, with the Ordinators defeating the Unforgiven and taking the Fallen as their own prisoner. Most of his own brothers from his contingent slain, Castel was ultimately blamed for the great humiliation and failure. Just how he was punished while still with the Seraphim is unknown, but in the year of 985.M41, the Librarian presented himself to Watch Fortress Surgegate as tribute to the Deathwatch.
Castel Israfel was then screened to the utmost for any taint or lacking qualities, doubly for the Deathwatch's high standards as well for the suspicious circumstances of his secondment, the Epistolary was not found wanting and began his vigil on the Long Watch. He was cold and distant to his comrades, particularly Watch-Sergeant Caelius of the Ordinators, but he was wise enough not to teeter into insubordination. But over the years, he began to share a mutual respect with the Peregrine, the Blackshield Captain of Watch-Company Quintus. For Castel had a wealth of experience with combating the psykers of the xenos while the Peregrine reminded the Librarian of his former Seraphim Captain, Niketas Vretiel.
Following Roboute Guilliman's Indomitus Crusade, Castel was horrendously wounded while serving in the Long Watch, his body mauled by the predations of Tyranids, both mental and physical. Certain to die, it was decided for the Librarian to attempt to cross the Rubicon and become a Primaris, or die in the procedure. The attempt was successful, given the expertise of the Watch Fortresses' Apothecaries, and now Castel serves more diligently than ever before. For the Astartes knows that his place is truly with the Deathwatch until he dies, for his brothers of the Seraphim are incredibly suspicious of the Primaris.
Personality
Very few of Castel's battle-brothers may have considered him a friend, owing to the Unforgiven's natural distrust of any not of their gene-sire's ken, his own nature as a psyker, and the fact the Librarian knows his time on the Watch is for atonement, not glory. But in truth, he was of much more patient clay than his brothers of the Seraphim, to whom vengeance is everything, and Castel would often read the Emperor's Tarot and takes solace in the outcome, regardless of the cards he draws for the Emperor has decreed it to be so.
However, following his ascension into a Primaris, and his near-death experience at the hands of the Tyranids, Castel has begun to see his battle-brothers as true comrades to whom he owed his life, chiefly his now friend, the Peregrine. Instead of merely fighting with his battle-brothers, Castel would say he now fights for them. Another effect of his encounter with the Tyranids is a true, nigh-tangible burden of knowledge of the danger of the alien, realizing that his place is now forever with the Deathwatch.
Wargear
- Mark X Power Armor
- Force Sword
- Plasma Pistol
- Krak Grenades
- Combat Knife